LOS ANGELES – The Kings’ first official attempt to assess the chemistry of its line combinations this season was interrupted early and often.

The NHL’s initiative to crack down on casual slashing penalties was apparent in the preseason opener, a 4-3 overtime loss to the Canucks on Saturday afternoon at Staples Center.

Each team collected 19 penalty minutes. The Kings averaged just over nine penalty minutes per game last season, the Canucks just under eight.

“I get what they’re trying to do,” said Kings forward Dustin Brown, who had a goal and an assist. “They crack down really hard for the first 20 games and then they kind of find the happy medium where you can still play the game. I mean there were a couple tonight where it felt like it’s just a stick check going for the puck and you hit the guy’s stick. For me, that’s how you forecheck.”

When NHL commissioner Gary Bettman emerged from the league’s board of governors meeting following last season, he made clear the league wouldn’t tolerate a certain level of force on slashes to players hands that haven’t been called in the past.

One game into the preseason, it’s clear that he was serious.

The most discussed call from Saturday was the last of four minor penalties on Kings 21-year-old center Adrian Kempe, all of which occurred in the game’s first 30 minutes. Vancouver’s Ryan White appeared to trip during a collision with a teammate, putting his head in the area of Kempe’s stick as he fell to the ice. Nevertheless, the slashing call landed Kempe in the penalty box for the fourth time of the night.

For all the frustration Saturday, it was balanced by a healthy amount of sympathy for the referees charged with enforcing the new rules.

“It’s as hard on them as it is on us,” Kings coach John Stevens said. “They’re going to have a learning curve as well. The thing you can’t do is get frustrated by it. You’ve just got to learn from it.”

Said Brown, “It’s probably toughest for the refs because they’ve got us yelling at them and the league yelling at them all at the same time.”

The Kings will have plenty of film to review on their special teams units, which spent the better part of two periods worth of time on the ice.

Lines like Brown, Anze Kopitar and free agent acquisition Michael Cammalleri, who have been running together since training camp began on Wednesday, can hope for smoother opportunities to build their chemistry during the team’s trip to China beginning on Sunday.

“We’ll get a sense as we move through preseason of what’s accepted and what isn’t,” Stevens said of the penalties.

Free agent defenseman impressive

Tanner Pearson had a pair of assists, one of which was to Brown for a game-tying power play goal in the second period. But it was offseason free agent acquisition Oscar Fantenberg who caught Stevens’ eye in the Swedish defenseman’s first hockey game in North America.

Fantenberg, 25, scored a go-ahead goal early in the third period on a well-placed slapshot aided by a screen in front of the net by Cammalleri.

“I got a really good bounce in the corner and I just took a few strides and hammered it,” Fantenberg said. “Hit it as hard as possible and luckily it went in.”

Fantenberg is known for his offensive prowess, but further development of his defensive skills the last couple of years playing for Sochi in the Kontinental Hockey League is likely what convinced the Kings to sign him in the offseason.

Fantenberg’s preseason performance will go a long way toward determining if he lands a roster spot with the Kings or begins the season playing for their AHL affiliate in Ontario.

“I thought he had a good account of himself,” Stevens said. “I thought he came in and gave us a pretty good performance.”

The lead Fantenberg gave the Kings held up until the Canucks tied the game on a redirect with 2:57 left in regulation.

With just 22 seconds remaining in overtime, Vancouver’s Brock Boeser slipped a wrist shot past Darcy Kuemper, who gave up two goals on on nine shots after replacing Jonathan Quick to begin the third period.

China roster announced

The Kings announced their 26-man travel roster for a weeklong trip to China that begins Sunday. Preseason games against Vancouver on Sept. 21 in Shanghai and Sept. 23 in Beijing will be the first ever NHL games played in China.

Clay Fowler is the sports features and UCLA basketball writer for the Southern California News Group. He has been working for SCNG since 2006, when he moved to Southern California from his native Texas. He was born and raised in Dallas and graduated from the University of Texas in 2002. He lives in La Verne with his wife and son. He is probably craving Chinese food right now.

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